April 25, 2013

Prison Action Network's brief summary is given below. Please see Building Bridges for full details and their current news about parole, ways to help and get involved.

1. Especially if you're a veteran who's done time in prison, or are the family member of an incarcerated veteran, you will welcome this opportunity to do some important healing - not only of your own pain, but of the system that then landed you in prison - in a luxurious setting, with all expenses except your transportation paid. All veterans and their families are invited!

2. Legislation considered in both houses of our legislature reveals the progress of our movement to make change in the legal system that controls our lives. Merit time bill is defeated.

3. Second Look Think Tank at Sullivan met with retiring DOCCS Commissioner Fischer and Vanda Seward, Director of Statewide Reentry Services, for a discussion of issues that affect all stakeholders in the reintegration process.

5. Preceding Michelle Alexander's presentation at Hamilton College, the NYS Prisoner Justice Network held a meet-up for its statewide membership to describe their roles in this growing movement for justice; your group, including organizations from inside prisons, is invited to be listed in their revised 2013/2014 Prisoner Justice Network Directory.

6. The NYS Parole Reform Campaign has revitalized their attempts to convince NYS legislators to do what so many New Yorkers understand is the morally correct thing to do, pass the SAFE Parole Act. It is time the Parole Board has legislation that allows them to fully commit their attention to evaluating the risks an applicant poses to his or her community.

7. Buffalo's Prisoners Are People Too, Inc. will meet on April 29 to discuss the stigma that exists throughout our communities and taints the decisions designed to provide "justice for all".

8. RAPP and DTR join in taking on the critical issue of people ageing and dying in prison.

9. Cory Parks points out the importance of self-reflection to our health and our vocational success.

10. Job opportunities in Albany NY.

11. Mothers of Bedford screening in Hudson NY follows women who are learning to provide their children with positive nurturing even from behind bars.

12. Keeping Jerry Balone's memory alive begins by sharing our stories of his impact on our lives. It will appear monthly in these pages as long as the stories keep coming.

13. Our actions are the seeds of our children's futures. A 12 year old child asks her advocate mother why there are so many black people in prison. Many who are decades older have yet to pose that important question.

April 23, 2013

State Supreme Court Justice Richard Mott ordered the state's parole board to swiftly grant Hank Morris a new parole hearing, finding the board "inexplicably" failed to fairly consider several factors in Morris's favor, including its own internal evaluation which indicates that Morris is no threat to society, and unjustly manipulated the process to keep him in prison for as long as possible. "Specifically, the record demonstrates that the board inexplicably failed to consider and weigh myriad relevant factors, all of which categorically supported petitioner's release on parole."

The new hearing took place yesterday, on April 22. Morris was granted parole and will be paroled by June 3.

Morris told parole commissioners that after his release he intends to work with not-for-profit agencies advocating parole reform. "I think there's a crying need for it," he said.

April 19, 2013

Hank Morris, the imprisoned former political advisor to ex-Comptroller Alan Hevesi, has brought a legal challenge against the state Parole Board, claiming officials do not follow proper procedure.

At the heart of his challenge is that the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Board of Parole are violating New York law and its Constitution with impunity by conducting unlawful parole hearings that do not comply with statutory amendments that took effect on October 1, 2011.

These new laws mandate that written risk assessment procedures should be developed and utilized when making parole determinations, and that a transition accountability plan (TAP) should be developed for each inmate to be utilized when making parole determinations.

State Supreme Court Justice Richard Mott has ordered the state's parole board to swiftly grant Hank Morris a new parole hearing, finding the board "inexplicably" failed to fairly consider several factors in Morris's favor, including its own internal evaluation which indicates that Morris is no threat to society, and unjustly manipulated the process to keep him in prison for as long as possible. "Specifically, the record demonstrates that the board inexplicably failed to consider and weigh myriad relevant factors, all of which categorically supported petitioner's release on parole."

"Put simply, the amended statute required that respondent develop written procedures that implement risk and needs principles, determine the likelihood of an inmate's success upon release, and adopt those procedures as an exercise of its rule-making power," Mott stated. "Disregard of a legislative mandate through an administrative agency's inaction as here, is arbitrary and capricious."

The outcome of this case may affect as many as 15,000 inmates who have appeared before the board since the amendments to the legislation in 2011.

Sadly John MacKenzie was found dead in prison on the morning of Thursday, 4 August 2016.

John took full responsibility for his crime yet in spite of his genuine and heartfelt remorse, his complete rehabilitation, his spotless disciplinary record and his impressive accomplishments and achievements, he was denied parole ten times for the one thing he could not change — the nature of his crime.

John's case is used as an outstanding example by advocates working to restore justice and fairness to parole.

Rest in peace dear John. You are greatly loved and missed.

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NYS Parole Statute

Procedures for the conduct of the work of the New York State Board of Parole:

NYS Parole Reform Campaign

Working to change unfair and unjust parole policies through the Safe and Fair Evaluations (SAFE) Parole Act. Regular updates are given in Building Bridges, the monthly newsletter of the Prison Action Network.

Special dedications

Parole News is dedicated to the memory of Charles "Chill" Hamilton and David "Pancake" Ramos, who died in prison. Charles "Chill" Hamilton was committed to parole reform. He had a sincere desire to help men change their lives, achieve an education and work towards becoming productive, law-abiding, contributing members of society. David "Pancake" Ramos kept everyone laughing. He was always happy, despite being in prison.